Life in Love
by Rose du Nuit
Summary: Sequal to Malfoy's Howler. What's life like ten years after Harry and Draco's wedding? Kids and Kitties abound! And oh, yeah, in case you couldn't tell, SLASH!
1. Summertime

Harry and Draco were happily asleep in bed, cuddled up together, and dreaming of each other, no doubt. It was quite a peaceful scene. That is until two ten-year-olds and a six-year-old crept into the room. The air seemed to sizzle with their mischeivous intents. Suddenly both were pounced upon. "Pappa, Daddy! Wake up!" was the call from the three. There was a simultaneous grunt from the two men a they were pounced upon. "Happy Chritmas!" The three children exclaimed.

"Get up, Pappa, up Daddy! Presents!" This was Izzy, short for Israfel (Harry's choice), their second youngest.

Harry sat up. "Guys, calm down before you wake Jesse." And right on cue, the four-week old boy started crying. "You guys go downtairs and get the table ready for breakfast. Lil, if you'll get everything out for me, I'll start on breakfast as soon as we come down, alright?"

The three nodded and trooped out of the room. Harry stood, pulling on a pair of jeans as he made his way to the crib. "Hush, baby," he murmured a he picked his second son up and rocked him in his arms as he paced the floor. He sang as he paced.

_"Summertime  
__And the livin' is easy  
Fish are jumpin'  
And the cotton is high  
Oh your Daddy's rich  
And your Pappa's good lookin'  
So hush, little baby  
Don't you cry"_

Draco stood from the bed, and wrapped his arms around Harry and their baby, finishing the song with his huband.

_"One of these mornin's  
You're gonna rise up singin'  
Then you'll spread your wings  
And head for the sky  
But until that mornin'  
Ain't nothin' gonna harm you  
With your Daddy and Pappa  
Here by your side."_

Draco pulled on a pair of jeans, and headed downtairs with Harry, and their newest brood of kittens following behind him.

**A/N:** Short, but oh-so-sweet. The song is "Summertime" from Gershwin's jazz/rock opera _Porgy & Bess_.


	2. Christmas Morning

When the two men had reached the kitchen, Harry handed Jesse to Draco and strode over to the stove. Lilly had done as she was asked and set out the sourdough bread, eggs, milk, cinnamon, and sugar, and Harry began making their traditional Christmas morning French toast as Draco poured some cat food into a dish for their four-legged brood. Izzy fidgeted in his seat.

"Pappa, why do we have to eat before presents?"

"Because Daddy and I made it a tradition," Draco explained. "Besides, the suspence makes the presents that much better."

"With a statement like that," Jay said matter-of-factly, "you'd think he was getting underwear for a stocking-stuffer."

"We're not that evil, are we, Lils?" Harry asked as he set the plate of toast on the table.

"Daddy, the only reason you never got us knickers was because you didn't want to go into a girls' section. That's why we get socks."

Everyone laughed at that, including Jesse, who slapped his hands on his high chair, and giggled, his blue eyes scrunched up, and blond hair falling over his forehead. Harry, who never ate breakfast anyway, picked up the little boy, and the bottle of milk Draco had charmed warm, and held him cradled in his arms, as the rest of the family ate.

The dishes were charmed clean - one of the few days there was no arguement over who who's turn it was to wash - and everyone, including the cats, made their way into the den. Draco sat on the couch, and Harry snuggled into him, Jesse in his arms, as the other three dug into their stockings. True to tradition, the girls got fuzzy socks (Jay's were green, and Lils' were blue), and Izzy got red boxers. Next, the girls pulled two envelopes from their stockings. Inside was the same letter:

_Darling,_

_You are both now elven, and will be attending Hogwarts next year. In honor of this occasion, the two of us are taking you out on New Year's Eve for a special surprise._

_Love you,  
Daddy  
**Pappa**_

The twins looked at them questioningly, but set the envelopes aside as Izzy drew one from his stocking. Inside was also a letter from his fathers.

**_Iz,_**

**_The Christmas after your sisters turned six, they received a training broom, of their choice. So, tomorrow afternoon, Daddy and I are taking you to Quality Qudditch Supplies, and you get to pick out your very first broom._**

_**Love,  
Pappa  
**Daddy_

Izzy jumped into the eir with a woop, and hugged his fathers. "Thank you thank you thankyouthanktyouthankyou!"

The two men grinned. "You're welcome, dear."

The three siblings returned to their stockings to find a box of Wizard's Cracker Jack's (There was a real prize inside), pears (that was Harry's doing), and decks of Muggle playing cards. Lilly, then took up her post by the tree and began handing out presents. Harry and Draco always waited until their children had opened theirs (real formal dresses for the girls, with their first pairs of high heals; a suit for Iz; books for everyone; and gift certificates to Diagon Alley). Harry received a joint-gift from his children - a garder snake. Lilly came to sit beside him, "We figured, since Hedwig passed on, you could use a new pet. And she was pretty."

Harry had to gulp to keep from crying. "Thank you, guys." He held out one arm, and pulled Lilly in for a kiss on her forehead, beconing for the others so he could do the same with them.

Next, Draco opened his joint-gift from the trio. It was a set of cufflinks in the shape of the Narcissus flower. "We got the idea from grandmum. Since she couldn't be here this year, we thought we'd get you something that would remind you of her," Izzy explained.

Harry and Draco opened their presents to each other at the same time. Draco had given Harry A black calf-length cape and a silver dragon clasp. Harry laughed as he looked up to see draco pulling the same gift from his box, only with a gryffin glasp. Draco pulled harry in for a wuick chaste kiss, just as someone knocked on the door.

The children jumped up and ran for the door. Soon there was a loud sqeaul of "Uncle Ron! Aunt 'Mione!" as the newest Weasley hoard flowed into the house. Soon, all of the Weasleys, Severus, Seamus, Dean, and many more had crowded into the den and were all exchanging gifts.

* * *

As the children slept that night, Harry and Draco cuddled by the fire, remembering every Christmas they had spent together. By far, this had to have been one of the best, but then, they said that every year.


	3. Stalling for time

Harry woke at two the next morning to Jesse crying. He swept the youngest Potter into his arms and sat in the rocking chair and sang his son back to sleep. And that's exactly where Draco found them when he awoke at six, Harry's head fallen back, and his child resting on his Daddy's shoulder, cooing softly in his sleep. There was a slight beeping noise of the floo, muffled by the many doors between their room and the den fireplace. Draco hurried downstairs to find the head of a sniffling Severus Snape emmersed in green flames. "Can I come over?" Sev sniffed again.

Draco quirked an eyebrow, but agreed, "Just give me twenty minutes to get everyone up."

Draco all but ran up the steps to the children's rooms, quietly informing them to get up, and that their Grandpa Sev was coming over. He then proceeded to his room where he had left Harry and Jesse. He opened the door to fine Jesse laying on their bed giggling, and Harry tugging on a pair of jeans. "Was in it the distance, or was Sev actually sniffling?"

"He was sniffling."

"Hmmm..." Harry thought of possibilities for why the potions master would be upset, as he gathered Jesse and followed the rest of his family downstairs.

They didn't have to wait long before Sev came flying out of the floo, and threw himself onto Harry sobbing. Harry extricated Jesse from between himself and the distraught professor and handed him to Draco, as he patted Sev's back, trying to calm him down. Once Sev's tears had been reduced to hiccoughs, Harry asked, "Sev, what's wrong?"

"He's gone."

"He's what?" resounded from the mouths of his five shocked family members.

"Uncle Sev, what exactly happened?" Draco asked carefully.

"We had a row last night. He said he didn't want children, and I knew I was up the duff, but after he said that,I lost it, and when I woke up this morning, he was gone, and oh, Harry, Draco," Draco seeing Sev's arm being thrust out towards him, handed Jesse to Lils as he was pulled into the hug that currently smothering his husband, "I've lost him, I know I have, and now I have to raise a little one all by myself, and I'm scared, and I don't - "

"You will not be raising any child of mine on your own," came a voice from the hall. Remus strode into view, and pulled Severus to him, allowing Harry and Draco to breathe. "Why didn't you tell me? The only reason I don't want children is I don't want them to go through what I have." Severus sniffled again, and began to weep on Remus. "It'll be alright, Sevvy-Pooh."

Harry turned to Draco, looking like he wanted to purge his stomache of the previous night's dinner, and mouthed, 'Sevvy-Pooh?'

The five onlookers, unsuccessful in stifling their sniggers, went into the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

A/N: I had a brain block, so you guys get to be entertained bythe comic-let's-make-fun-of-soap-operas mood I'm in. Also, this should answer your questions as to who Severus is with. wiggles eyebrows No worries, though, the real chapter will be up, and betaed, soon. And, yes, this will play into the plot... Somehow.


End file.
